Home » Misc » Big cozy living room

Big cozy living room


How can I make a large living room feel cozy? |

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Future/James Merrell / Heidi Caillier Design, photography by Haris Kenjar / Emily Minton-Redfield/Nadia Watts Interior Design)

Having a large living room can feel like a luxury, but as the nights draw in and the temperature outside begins to drop you’re probably wondering, ‘how can I make my large living room feel cozy?’. 

It can be a challenge to bring the feeling of coziness into a large room, as this is something you would normally associate with more intimate spaces. But whether you have an open plan layout or lofty ceilings to contend with, there are cozy living room ideas you can adopt in order to transform your large living room into a warm and welcoming space.

We spoke to interiors experts to discover the techniques and ploys they use in generous spaces.

How can I make my living room cozy?

Making a house cozy isn't always easy if your rooms are large or lofty. Sure, it's wonderful to have airy rooms, but if it's coziness you crave, you may be wondering how to make them feel intimate and inviting. So, how do you make a large living room cozy? Try these techniques, step-by-step.

1. Break up the layout of a large room

(Image credit: Photography by Adrian Gaut/Styled by Colin King)

First things first, you should break down your large living room into different areas, rethinking your living room layout ideas to suit how you want to use the space, as interior designer Shanade McAllister-Fisher suggests. 

'Start by mapping out your room to create zones, being mindful not to place all the furniture against the walls, which tends to feel like a doctor’s waiting room,' she explains. 

'Use larger items of furniture, such as sofas, armchairs, and chaises longues to divide the space and create conversation areas and focal points.' 

Make sure each of these zones feel relaxed by keeping the design of them relatively informal.  

2. Create pools of light

(Image credit: Firmdale Hotels/Kit Kemp)

Harsh living room lighting ideas can throw off the whole look of a room of any size, and with a large living room you probably have multiple light sources to manage. 

The secret to creating a cozy ambience in a large space is to plan living room lighting that avoids contrasts.

'One way to do this is through an armed living room ceiling light or a chandelier which will rebound light across the room,' explains Peter Legg, lead designer for Där Lighting . 

'A large diameter drum shade works well as a soft light and specialists should be able to offer you a diffuser or baffle trim which will further dilute the glow and minimize glare. 

'In a big space, you can also carve out different zones using accents such as a table or floor lamps and living room wall lights to form enveloping reading corners or snug socializing areas.'

3. Light a fire

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

Nothing says 'cozy' in a large living room more than a warm open fire, so if you are able to incorporate one into your design make sure it is the centerpoint.  

Do this by placing seating (safely!) around the area – not only will this help create a comfortable conversation area but it will also draw focus to the warmest part of the room. 

4. Layer, layer, layer

(Image credit: James Merrel/Future)

Layering in interior design is essential for making a large living room feel cozy. 

'Try being more adventurous than incorporating just a couple of cushions and a throw,' suggests interior designer Juliette Thomas, founder of Juliettes Interiors.

'As well as gorgeous textured fabrics, add depths and tones of color to bring a larger space to life and make it feel welcoming and cozy. The warmth of wooden floors or the glamor of metallic finishes can lift an interior, while throws, cushions, rugs and lighting combine to complete your base layers,' she adds.

5. Create a nook

(Image credit: Future / Brent Darby )

If you love to curl up with a good book then utilize your extra space to create a peaceful, cozy reading nook. Set up a large comfortable armchair next to a bookshelf, alongside a small side table. 

Complete the look by adding a table lamp or a floor lamp with a reading light for those darker evenings – and don’t forget to throw in a cozy blanket for good measure. 

Even if you don't use a reading nook, it will create a cozy feeling that can't be beaten.

6. Use rich, warm colors

(Image credit: Emily Minton-Redfield/Nadia Watts Interior Design)

Rich, warm colors on the walls and even ceilings (think fall color schemes) can help to create an enveloping feeling in a large room. Warm neutrals and earthy tones can have a comforting effect, so you don’t necessarily have to paint the whole living room in a dark color. 

Rethink living room ceiling ideas, too. If you have high ceilings you could try using two tones on the walls in complementing shades, using one on the ceiling too. Do this either by painting different walls different tones to help zone the room or by only painting one color halfway up the wall, as this can often help give the illusion of a lower ceiling.  

7. Lay area rugs and carpet

(Image credit: Future)

Living room carpet ideas are an obvious way to soften a space, but if you are reluctant to cover up hardwood floors entirely, consider adding a living room rug (or a few). 

Not only will a rug feel cozier underfoot, but it can act as a tool to help zone a larger room. Place under a coffee table and chairs to create a conversation area and help anchor the space. 

'It’s important to consider the size, color and style of the rug as it’s an addition that will add warmth and will change the overall aesthetic of a room,' recommends Lou Petersen, Dwell ’s creative director. 'Go for an option that suits your own personal style and blends well with your existing interior scheme,' she adds.

8. Ensure furniture looks and feels comfortable

(Image credit: Cabellero)

Make sure the seating you have is comfy – after all, there’s nothing better than sinking into a sumptuous sofa after a long day. The same applies for other pieces in your living room to help create a cozy feel. 

For example, you could swap your glass coffee tables for oversized ottomans, adding a tray to place coasters and candles on. 

9. Add more layering to the walls

(Image credit: Mylands )

Think too about how to fill a large living room wall: using living room art ideas and even fabric tapestries can create coziness that can be layered over warming paint colors.

Choose a select few oversized pieces to fill the space and create focal points in the room, along with a few smaller detailed prints for added interest.

10. Furnish curtains with full drapes

(Image credit: Heidi Caillier Design, photography by Haris Kenjar)

Heavy weight living room drape ideas will not only help keep out the cold but lengthy fabrics will help soften the look of your windows and add texture to the room’s overall scheme. 

Look to layer your window dressings, too. Combine sheer blinds with thicker curtains to allow yourself to control the amount of air and light that comes into the room as and when you wish.

What are quick ways to make a large living room cozy?

Quick ways to make a large living room cozy include a quick dash around the house to gather complementary pillows and throws that you can use to add warm, comforting layers to your furniture. Maybe you can look at swapping out an area rug from another room, too, if its colors are warmer than what you have presently? And just as when you are looking for how to make a dining room cozy, swapping stark overhead lighting for table lamps and candles will quickly make your space feel more inviting.

Yvette’s first steps into interior journalism came several years ago when she joined the team at specialist consumer magazine Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms, which is where her love for home design (and obsession for decorating) began to truly flourish. She worked on the title in a variety of positions, before being appointed as Features Editor on Essential Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom magazine, further cementing her voice as an expert in the three core rooms of our homes.  

During her years working in London, it became a running joke that Yvette wanted a fully stocked cocktail trolley in her apartment but would need to leave the city if she wanted to afford – and comfortably fit – one in her own home. Funnily enough, in 2019 she did exactly that, and can now be found sitting happily in her spacious Bristol adobe, cosmopolitan in hand. 

With a keen eye for new trends and innovations, Yvette continues to write about homes and interiors as a freelance journalist, sharing tried and tested advice for renovation projects and top tips for transforming your home into something beautiful. 

44 Cozy Living Room Ideas You'll Love

By

Kristin Hohenadel

Kristin Hohenadel

Kristin Hohenadel is an interior design expert who has covered architecture, interiors, and decor trends for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Lonny, and the American and international editions of Elle Decor. She resides in Paris, France, and has traveled to over 30 countries, giving her a global perspective on home design.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 04/16/22

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Cozy isn't a style but a feeling, the homey ambiance of a room that makes us want to curl up, relax and cocoon ourselves from the world. A living room might feel cozy because of its architecture and proportions, like a snug Victorian sitting room or cottage interior. Or it might feel cozy because it's furnished with plenty of comfy seating options for friends and family; decorated with warm colors; layered with sensual textures like fluffy pillows and soft throws; crammed with books and personal objects; warmly lit or possessed of a real or faux fireplace. There is no single recipe for what makes a space feel cozy—that depends on individual tastes and sensibilities. Just remember that it doesn't take a big budget to create a cozy living room, just a little bit of heart.

Here are some examples of various ways to create a cozy living room no matter your budget or style.

Large living room - 100 photos of interior design ideas

> Living room > Large living room - 100 photo ideas on how to design a beautiful spacious living room

The largest and richly furnished room in the house is the living room. By its decoration, one can judge not only the tastes or preferences of the owners, but also their material wealth and well-being. In such a room it is pleasant to relax with friends, spend time with family.

The interior of the large living room plays an important role. A large, spacious room does not limit the designer in choosing a style, it allows you to implement bold and non-standard solutions that would never have found success in a small area.

Contents:

How to find the right design for a large living room?

A living room is considered large when the area of ​​the room exceeds 20 square meters. Such dimensions allow you to "introduce" any style.

Here are a few trends that are perfect for decorating a living room:

Classic

Always in fashion, never getting old. Combines a presentable look and beauty, contains elements of luxury. The opinion that the classics are old-fashioned is wrong.

Hi-tech

This is an ultra-modern style that uses materials such as glass, metal, plastic. Functionality and convenience is the main direction of this style! Suitable for those who care not only about the beauty of the interior decoration, but also about the functionality of the things that it contains.

Ethno style

For those who want to emphasize their national identity or exotic preferences, while maintaining naturalness and comfort. The use of natural materials, simple, laconic furniture, a sense of unity with nature. The interior is created using certain cultural traditions, customs, and everything is taken into account: color, shapes, traditional furniture, decorations.

Eco style

Currently gaining more and more popularity. Innovative forms and natural materials, combined with harmony with the environment, these are the basic rules for creating this style! This style is for those who are tired of bad ecology and city bustle.

Allows you to relax and gain strength in your "home oasis". For those who decide to give preference to him, it can be advised when decorating a room to create a maximum of free space and an abundance of light, to give preference to light colors, an abundance of plants, a minimum of furniture, which should be made of natural materials.

This list of styles is, of course, not complete, each designing a living room relies primarily on their own taste and preferences. But, in cooperation with professionals, your living room will acquire a presentable look, and at the same time it will delight you for more than one year!

Recommendations - how to make the living room cozy and unique

There are countless options for possible layouts and styles for the living room. And errors are observed the same, and with an enviable regularity. To avoid them, check out the tips of experienced designers:

1. An important point in the living room, as in any other room, is lighting. The presence of natural light in the room is always considered a big plus, but if it is not enough, you should not save on artificial light!

2. Large area is the main advantage of most living rooms. Use it correctly - make sure that together, all zones create a feeling of comfort and harmony, do not forget about the decoration of walls and ceilings. There may be more than one semantic center in the room, if you already have a fireplace, for example, a large plasma will help to dilute the atmosphere in the room.

3. Place large interior items so that they do not interfere with movement, do not cover the main parts of the room's decor.

Tones and colors in the interior of a large living room

If a large area is defined for the living room, choose light colors and a lot of artificial lighting for decoration. Soft and warm colors are comfortable, they create coziness in space.

Use the "rule" of contrast in the interior - if the ceiling and walls are light, make the floor and furniture dark in the large living room.

Choose a color according to the chosen style and overall color scheme.

What furniture should be in a spacious living room?

The answer to this question depends on the preferences of the owners, but, of course, you should not leave, let alone refuse the chosen interior. If you can’t choose something suitable, look at the photo of a large living room, or use the manufacture of custom-made furniture.

A large upholstered sofa will look good with a small coffee table, which, moreover, will never stand idle.

Fill your space with decor and accessories. Add indoor plants - they will improve the atmosphere in the living room and create a more pleasant environment for communication.

Photo of modern large living room design ideas

100 photos of beautiful ideas and new designs

Advertising

Content:

  1. What do the experts say?
  2. Large living room lighting
  3. Fireplace in large living room
  4. Finishing materials

A large living room is a real dream not only for ordinary people with a small income, but also for wealthy individuals. Many are convinced that a large living room can solve all the problems associated with a lack of space, because this is a key room for both an apartment and a country house. In reality, it turns out that a large living room also has a number of difficulties, because when planning the interior design of such a room, many problems arise. How to solve them by creating the perfect large living room? Let's find out together.

The design of a large living room requires responsibility and care. Of course, if there is a financial opportunity to invite a designer, then all these problems fall on his shoulders, as a result of which the client will receive a number of finished projects, taking into account his taste preferences, the characteristics of the premises and financial possibilities. If, for one reason or another, it is impossible to invite a specialist, then all the difficulties associated with the design of a spacious living room must be solved, fall on the shoulders of the homeowner.

The living room is a large and richly furnished room, the decoration of which allows you to understand the tastes and preferences of the owners, their sense of style and material well-being. The living room is the central room where households spend most of their time, relax and eat, spend time with each other and guests. A large area makes it possible to implement non-standard, complex and bold solutions, but they need to be correctly implemented. Many people think that a large living room is created for a huge amount of furniture, but in vain, because in order for the room to be cozy, it is important that the space is not cluttered.

Here, despite the square meters, you can not use an excessive amount of furniture, bulky armchairs and sofas. It is important that the interior is bright and spacious, and the movement around the room is comfortable and free. When choosing finishing materials, too dark shades should not be used, although they are acceptable in some styles, such as rococo or baroque. And so, how to properly arrange a large living room, turning it into the dignity and pride of the homeowner?

What do the experts say?

First of all, you need to listen to the opinion of experts, but not those who write superficial comments, but real professional designers who understand home interior design. Experts identify key features, as well as principles for creating the interior of a large living room, which everyone should know about.

Recently, the use of natural materials and environmentally friendly interiors has become popular, so pay special attention to wood and natural stone. Wooden panels create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, while the interior of a large living room will be not only natural, but also quite lively, interesting and attractive. In a large room, the space cannot be decorated with dark shades; it is better to give preference to a warm color palette and fresh tones.

Windows are an important element of the interior, which is often forgotten, but in vain. The window is not only a source of natural light that fills the interior space with light and warmth, but also an interior element that affects the external perception of the room. To decorate the window, you can not use dark curtains made of dense materials. As for the walls, you can make them spectacular with the help of liquid wallpaper, which creates a textured surface.

Large living room lighting

Since we started talking about windows, we can't help but mention artificial lighting. In order for a large room to be cozy and comfortable, it is important to take care of the lighting system, the choice of lamps. Being in a large room it is important that it is well lit, so there should be several types of lighting.

The key element will be the central chandelier, complemented by ceiling spotlights located around the perimeter of the room. To create accents and highlight individual zones, you can use backlighting, floor lamps and wall sconces, the desktop can be illuminated with a small table lamp with daylight. The style of the lamps should match the design of the living room, in harmony with its design, complementing it.

It is important to remember that an insufficient amount of light will turn the interior of a large living room into an inexpressive and boring room that will "kill" the feeling of coziness and comfort. Only one item can correct this situation - a fireplace that fits perfectly into the interior of a large modern living room. Let's talk about it in more detail.

Fireplace in a large living room

Not so long ago, a fireplace served not as an object for decorating a space, but as a means of heating a room. They were used in old village houses, heating the room with wood, but technology does not stand still. Thanks to this, you can install a fireplace even in an apartment. Stylish and attractive, modern and high-tech - it's all about him. A fireplace is a source of coziness and warmth, comfort and a sense of security. It not only fascinates, but also attracts, you just want to sit next to it with a cup of tea, wrapped in a blanket.

The ability to use a fireplace in an apartment has become a reality due to the fact that there are modern electric, gas and closed fireplaces that are safe and easy to operate. Closed and gas fireplaces delight with their naturalness, because you can admire a real fire, enjoying the sound of firewood crackling. The electric version is safer, and the latest developments will allow you to change the modes of burning wood, the color of the fire and give the right heat, which is so attractive to the fireplace in the cold season.

Finishing materials

First of all, I would like to say about the colors of the finishing materials used to decorate the large living room. Of course, there are no special restrictions here, but still, designers do not recommend using dark materials, preferring lighter tones. The only exception is a dark brown or checkered black and white floor. For walls and ceilings, it is better to choose light shades that fill the room with air and a sense of freedom.

Learn more